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The Love Life of Some Guy
Sometimes, the only way to find yourself is to lose who you thought you were.
The Love Life of Some Guy is a raw, darkly funny coming-of-age novel diving deep into nearly twenty years of trying—and failing—to figure out love. Through a string of relationships, situationships, and missed connections, one young bisexual man stumbles his way through identity, intimacy, and everything in between.
Told with sharp humor and unflinching honesty, this is a story about growing up, craving connection, and slowly realizing that love isn’t something you can find in others until you begin to find it in yourself.
For anyone who has ever felt like they were a little behind, a little lost, or a little too much, this one’s for you.
The Love Life of Some Guy is a raw, darkly funny coming-of-age novel diving deep into nearly twenty years of trying—and failing—to figure out love. Through a string of relationships, situationships, and missed connections, one young bisexual man stumbles his way through identity, intimacy, and everything in between.
Told with sharp humor and unflinching honesty, this is a story about growing up, craving connection, and slowly realizing that love isn’t something you can find in others until you begin to find it in yourself.
For anyone who has ever felt like they were a little behind, a little lost, or a little too much, this one’s for you.
351 pages, Paperback
Published April 27, 2026
About the author
Jake Zuurbier
6 books21 followersJake Zuurbier, born in 2002, is a multifaceted Dutch author whose creative endeavors span writing, photography & painting. As the founder of Apollo Imperium, he has established a platform that reflects his artistic passions.
In literature, Zuurbier is recognized for his innovative narrative techniques and unique perspectives. His debut novel, “The Detective,” published in February 2023, offers a modern and off-beat twist on classic murder mysteries. His second book, "Erisseth," released in January 2024, delves into themes of magic, love, and betrayal, showcasing his versatility as an author.
Beyond writing, Jake's artistic expression includes painting and sketching, with his visual art characterized by a blend of traditional techniques and contemporary themes. His works vary from realism to abstract. His photography reflects his keen eye for detail and composition
In literature, Zuurbier is recognized for his innovative narrative techniques and unique perspectives. His debut novel, “The Detective,” published in February 2023, offers a modern and off-beat twist on classic murder mysteries. His second book, "Erisseth," released in January 2024, delves into themes of magic, love, and betrayal, showcasing his versatility as an author.
Beyond writing, Jake's artistic expression includes painting and sketching, with his visual art characterized by a blend of traditional techniques and contemporary themes. His works vary from realism to abstract. His photography reflects his keen eye for detail and composition
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 16, 2026
I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. This is not a typical romance, in fact I dare say it is not a romance at all, since it is more focused on the life of this "some guy" than it is a stereotypical romance novel with the tropes we all know and love. This book is a definite coming of age story, as the cover suggests, and I really liked it.
This story was one I read as an ARC, thank you Jake for sending me this to review!
The main character is not named until the very last page, and I think this is a choice the author made as a way of showing that he finally found himself after all that he went through. Neither is the location very well known, though it likely plays out somewhere in Europe because of school trips mentioned in the story that take place in Berlin and France. I'm not sure why the author chose to not disclose location, but I do think it adds to the timelessness of the story, as you can make the main character anyone you want this way.
I particularly loved the last half of the book, even though I really liked the first half too. The first half, however, is more relationship (and such) focused, and while this is very engaging and fast paced, I really enjoyed when there came a sense of mental peace in the second half of the story, where the main character starts to find who he is. This is very well executed and feels very grounded and like someone could actually have a progression as a person like this character did.
The character work in general is simply phenomenal. Truly reminiscent of my own years as a teenager. some characters I loved, some I loved to hate, and some I found pieces of myself in. I can tell the author placed great care in developing these characters, and I found the intentional withholding of names of certain characters a very interesting narrative choice.
I hated Jay. Oh, I hated Jay. What a despicable human being. This is not the main character, and I will not spoil anything, but lord heaven above, I hated Jay.
I really liked how the author tied up the last two chapters and the Molly story arc. Some tears came out reading that, and I think that says it all.
All in all, I highly recommend reading this book. It is a celebration of life and a win for everyone struggling with identity and love in their lives.
This story was one I read as an ARC, thank you Jake for sending me this to review!
The main character is not named until the very last page, and I think this is a choice the author made as a way of showing that he finally found himself after all that he went through. Neither is the location very well known, though it likely plays out somewhere in Europe because of school trips mentioned in the story that take place in Berlin and France. I'm not sure why the author chose to not disclose location, but I do think it adds to the timelessness of the story, as you can make the main character anyone you want this way.
I particularly loved the last half of the book, even though I really liked the first half too. The first half, however, is more relationship (and such) focused, and while this is very engaging and fast paced, I really enjoyed when there came a sense of mental peace in the second half of the story, where the main character starts to find who he is. This is very well executed and feels very grounded and like someone could actually have a progression as a person like this character did.
The character work in general is simply phenomenal. Truly reminiscent of my own years as a teenager. some characters I loved, some I loved to hate, and some I found pieces of myself in. I can tell the author placed great care in developing these characters, and I found the intentional withholding of names of certain characters a very interesting narrative choice.
I hated Jay. Oh, I hated Jay. What a despicable human being. This is not the main character, and I will not spoil anything, but lord heaven above, I hated Jay.
I really liked how the author tied up the last two chapters and the Molly story arc. Some tears came out reading that, and I think that says it all.
All in all, I highly recommend reading this book. It is a celebration of life and a win for everyone struggling with identity and love in their lives.
May 14, 2026
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The “guy” in this story became my friend. He spoke to me like any other friend would, telling me about his life and his loves. What attracted me to the story at first was the promise that it might be an MM romance, but it is not that: it is an honest opening up from a fictional friend to the reader.
In this book, we meet a guy who remains nameless. This narrative device, including the lack of precise details about the setting and timeline, allow for the narrator to be whomever you imagine him to be, and it creates a certain timelessness that will allow this story to be read as “present tense” for a long time to come.
The main character tells us of his experiences, his sadness, his solitude, his sense of self-worth, and we get to see his development over time as he weaves a story that feels like I am sitting with him and getting to know him over the course of a long friendship. I have to say that at the end, I wanted more. I wanted to know what would happen next, and that’s a gift.
There are a few small issues: the author uses certain phrases a lot and there are some typos and grammatical errors. To me, most of these seemed like choices the author made about the voice of the narrator - that the narrator is not a native English speaker - and that made it feel authentic to the way someone would speak. For some folks, it will be a negative.
Overall, I enjoyed the story enormously. I lived vicariously through the guy’s youthful escapades, and was thrilled at his growth. I recommend this book and will be checking out the author’s book, “Darius.”
The “guy” in this story became my friend. He spoke to me like any other friend would, telling me about his life and his loves. What attracted me to the story at first was the promise that it might be an MM romance, but it is not that: it is an honest opening up from a fictional friend to the reader.
In this book, we meet a guy who remains nameless. This narrative device, including the lack of precise details about the setting and timeline, allow for the narrator to be whomever you imagine him to be, and it creates a certain timelessness that will allow this story to be read as “present tense” for a long time to come.
The main character tells us of his experiences, his sadness, his solitude, his sense of self-worth, and we get to see his development over time as he weaves a story that feels like I am sitting with him and getting to know him over the course of a long friendship. I have to say that at the end, I wanted more. I wanted to know what would happen next, and that’s a gift.
There are a few small issues: the author uses certain phrases a lot and there are some typos and grammatical errors. To me, most of these seemed like choices the author made about the voice of the narrator - that the narrator is not a native English speaker - and that made it feel authentic to the way someone would speak. For some folks, it will be a negative.
Overall, I enjoyed the story enormously. I lived vicariously through the guy’s youthful escapades, and was thrilled at his growth. I recommend this book and will be checking out the author’s book, “Darius.”
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews